Recognizing the Good Bugs in Cotton - Texas Is Cotton Country ...

Striped
Earwig
Labidura riparia
Characteristics: The striped earwig is a slender,
flattened insect 3/4-1 inch long with
large pinchers at the tip of the abdomen. The
two lengthwise stripes on the front of the thorax
(pronotum) help identify L. riparia.
Immature earwigs resemble adults but are
smaller. Earwigs are active at night and
search for food both on the soil and on
plants. During the day they hide in soil
crevices and thus are seldom seen. L. riparia
is found along the East Coast to Florida and
west to California.
Prey: Earwigs are important predators of
eggs, larvae, and pupae of many different
kinds of moths and beetles.
General Biology: Females deposit eggs in
nests constructed in the soil and care for the
eggs and nymphs. Development of egg to
adult requires about 4 months, and there are
1 or 2 generations per year. Studies in Georgia
found L. riparia less common in cotton fields
where fire ants were present.
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